Headlamp

[joelrash]

Any thoughts on the best light weight head lamp? Thanks.

[Slosteppin]

I haven't tried all headlamps available so I couldn't guess which is "best". If you just asked for the lightest there could be an answer.
What is best for me might not be best for you.
I'm using a Primus Primelight.

I suggest going to backpackGearTest.org and check the headlamps tested and reviewed.

Slosteppin

[DareN]

I use the Princeton Tec "Fuel". Very light, great battery life (they say 160 hours on low) and very bright also on the highest setting. Only about $25.

[Snowleopard]

There is no such thing as 'best'. I like the Petzl Tikka XP (light, pretty good amount of light, uses AAAs) and the Petzl Myo XP (heavy, more light, AAs). The nice thing about both of these is that they have a movable diffuser that drops in front of the LED to switch from a nice broad beam for things like reading, cooking, and moves out of the way when you need to see further away with a narrow beam.

Lots of people like the Princeton Tec Eos, especially with some modification.

Check out http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/ for more than you want to know.

Not a headlamp, but these keychain lights weigh nothing and cost 99 cents -- good backup lights. Get a couple and scatter them around your pack and body. http://www.lighthound.com/Lighthound-Keychain-Flashlight-Blue-Body-White-LED_p_968.html

[The Mechanical Man]

Any thoughts on the best light weight head lamp? Thanks.


Petzl Zipka,......

http://www.amazon.com/Petzl-E48-PBY-Headlamp-Yellow/dp/B0000EI9BG

[Egads]

I use a rechargeable 3 watt Black Diamond. Headlamps are a bad item to skimp on if you do any night hiking.

[sasquatch2014]

I second the Petzl Tikka XP. I do a lot of hiking out at night. I often go up to a local shelter after dinner and hang out until it gets dark then head home. It's better than TV. I am suprised how much light even the low setting throws off when the batteries are fresh and the second lens that spreads the light out more is a great thing. I often find that I don't even need the full beam setting. The only thing that I wish it cam with was a red filter for use around camp.

[leeki pole]

I really like my L. L. Bean pathfinder cap in blaze orange with the two led's in the brim. I walk the dogs at night and early in the morning, about 40 minutes total for each walk, and I got a year's worth of battery life from it. It's kind of an all in one package, and very bright. I can even see the wolf spiders eyes in the grass reflecting the light. Spooky.

[DAKS]

petzl e+lite. 1.0 oz.

[greginmi]

+1 on the Petzel e+Lite

[Red Beard]

I really like the Princeton Tec Scout. It uses 4 watch batteries (CR3002), and is pretty bright considering how small and light-weight it is.

[Red Beard]

I really like the Princeton Tec Scout. It uses 4 watch batteries (CR3002), and is pretty bright considering how small and light-weight it is.

CR2032 that is. Dyslexia can be a b!#*h sometimes.

[Jayboflavin04]

I have a BD spot. I passed out on a recent car camping trip and left it on all night. Still running strong in the AM and lasted the next night also. 3AAA bats good burn time (obviously) and doesnt wgh much.

[toegem]

If weight is an issue Petzl e+lite I found that it is just enough light to take care business, I also like the red light that saves your night vision.

[Yukon]

I have a BD spot. I passed out on a recent car camping trip and left it on all night. Still running strong in the AM and lasted the next night also. 3AAA bats good burn time (obviously) and doesnt wgh much.

I'm not an ultra light hiker but I will second the spot recommendation, I love mine!

[ShelterLeopard]

I think it's called the Petzl Zipka Plus. The only problem is if your hair is really soft (not a problem after not washing your hair for days), it sometimes slides down your hair.

[jrhord6]

I also like using the petzle e+lite. I usually keep it in my vehicle when not out in the woods.

[Rainman]

I have three different headlamps, or is it four. Anyway, the one I always reach for on my way out the door is my Black Diamond Spot. In fact, I was worried it might be discontinued (as manufacturers sometimes randomly do) so I have an extra one sitting in my gear bin just in case.

[joelrash]

Thanks for the great advice. I went with the eLite and I'm pretty happy with it - love the red light feature for not blinding shelter mates. Lower hours/batter ratio, but I try and hike during the day and sleep at night so it's more for finding gear after dark :)

[cbost2678]

I also have the Pelz Tikka and really like it!!

[Ranc0r]

Thanks for the great advice. I went with the eLite and I'm pretty happy with it - love the red light feature for not blinding shelter mates. Lower hours/batter ratio, but I try and hike during the day and sleep at night so it's more for finding gear after dark :)


I have two of the things. Best thing is the battery weighs 1/4 oz too, so it's no problem to carry a "spare"! Very diffused light, no spot function.

Ranc0r
.

[Wise Old Owl]

It’s not about how far a beam is thrown, Or how light it is. or the lithium batteries that might be used.

If we are talking about the best lamp for the trip, we are talking about a wooded trail that is not lit by Moon light or Star light. Clearly this eliminates all “one” LED head lamps even if they have a back reflector. Because hiking down a trail at night dirt, dust and stumps will not reflect light, their shadows reveal the their “trip” potential. A single LED is great for non trail use (camp or road use) for older (over 40’ish) reading is better accomplished with two or more LED’s a younger crowd can clearly read on one LED with little effort.

The beam that is thrown, only has to have a wide focus that can be adjusted 6-10 feet ahead of you for comfort. While walking a trail the focus of the beam needs to be down angled from the head, Example Apex light throws light hundreds of feet – best for picking a route on a mountain climb, overkill for the trail.

Batteries – I have said this before if you can afford Lithium great – otherwise stick with triple A or Double A as you can substitute rechargeable or trail town Alkaline, avoid GP or other lower quality batteries.

UL gear guy is pushing exspensive single one LED head lamps and I don’t mind telling you for the AT he’s FOS

http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200511/20051111.html (http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gearguy/200511/20051111.html)

Halogen and xeon lamps are great – but suck batteries as they are using far more energy.


Here is what would be sufficient for the trail
http://www99.epinions.com/review/Princeton_Tec_Aurora_Headlamp_AUR3/content_102303108740 (http://www99.epinions.com/review/Princeton_Tec_Aurora_Headlamp_AUR3/content_102303108740)

[Dogwood]

You know I have pricey Petzls, Black Diamond, and Princeton headlamps, but the one I find myself reaching for over and over for most of my 3 season backpacking trips is a simple 2 LED Everready headlamp that takes 3 AAA. I bought it at Wallyworld for $11.88. It has a red light, white light, fully adjusts, weighs 2 oz., and doesn't consume batteries rapidly. The only problem with it that I can find is that the plastic tab that holds on the battery cover keeps breaking when changing out batteries. I wouldn't rely on it for caving or backwoods jungles but, hey, even if the plastic tab keeps breaking I just keep having Wallyword replace it!

[mudcap]

I really like the one Dogwood speaks of.

[brooklynkayak]

If we are talking about the best lamp for the trip, we are talking about a wooded trail that is not lit by Moon light or Star light. Clearly this eliminates all “one” LED head lamps even if they have a back reflector. Because hiking down a trail at night dirt, dust and stumps will not reflect light, their shadows reveal the their “trip” potential.

I find the opposite.
My experience has been that if it is dark, no moon and stars are blocked by cloud cover, I will see better details with a VERY dim single LED light.
It can take a few minutes to adjust to this amount of light if you have been exposed to bright light.
A bright muti-LED lite makes everything look 2 dimensional so I can't judge distance and my peripheral vision is shot.

Of course this may not be the same for people who have different vision handicaps, especially night vision problems, but try it sometime.
I have heard that dim red LED's work well, but that has not been my experience as some things seem to disappear in the red light. Dim blue has worked for me, but I haven't used blue enough to compare to plain white.
This probably varies with the terrain.

On the subject of Lithium verses others. Lithium have a lot more potential energy, are lighter and work better in the cold.
I find them cheaper in the long run. Rechargeable are the worst thing to have in the cold, so I can only use in the summer.

[Tinker]

Any thoughts on the best light weight head lamp? Thanks.
For ultralight overnighters or weekend hikes, I've found the Cyclops headlamp sufficient. At one ounce with a rotary switch it's simple and light. It has a focused optical lens which gives a fairly bright circle of light (but it's a bit narrow and not bright enough for night hiking, just camp use). Most of the time I bring my Princeton Tec Eos which is brighter and has a longer battery life, cheaper batteries, and is waterproof.

[Feral Bill]

I borrowed a friend's Black Diamond head lamp that uses a 6v camera battery and two LEDs. Seemed very nice on a very short jaunt. Don't know the model.

[flemdawg1]

I also use the Princeton Tec Aurora.

[Wise Old Owl]

BK read your post and lithium is great, and possibly very hard to find in trail towns here in PA. I actually have both a single and three LED head lamp. The single causes me to trip on roots on the trail so I am going to guess you are a lot younger and eating lots of carrots!

[dessertrat]

I use the Energizer from Walmart and use lithium batteries in it. Works great, just a bit heavier, but four different settings.

[Feral Bill]

I borrowed a friend's Black Diamond head lamp that uses a 6v camera battery and two LEDs. Seemed very nice on a very short jaunt. Don't know the model.

Seems to be the ION. Very light with short battery life, according to specs.

[CrumbSnatcher]

zipka and bic lighter:D

[brooklynkayak]

BK read your post and lithium is great, and possibly very hard to find in trail towns here in PA. I actually have both a single and three LED head lamp. The single causes me to trip on roots on the trail so I am going to guess you are a lot younger and eating lots of carrots!

Because Lithiums are lighter and have more juice, you could carry extra and probably get by on most any section, unless you need to use retina burning brightness. I was surprised by how common AA lithium batteries are lately, but probably not available in some trail towns. You can always use alkaline on those sections where lithium isn't available, but alkaline won't work as well in the cold.

I am in my fifties with a somewhat reduced night vision, but probably as good or better than most my age.

I had found that when I was using a bright focused beam light, I couldn't judge certain trail objects correctly and would trip at night and wouldn't see anything on the periphary so I kept trying to go brighter and brighter until I realized it was worse when the light was brighter.

On one moonless night when my battery was running low, I set my light to the dimmest setting while taking a break. It took several minutes before my eyes adjusted, but when they did, it seemed that I had better three dimensional vision in light that barely eliminated the trail. I couldn't see as far but could judge distance and could now see the periphery better.

This is especially true when I paddle at night. The brighter the light the less I can seem to see.

I have heard this from others as well and some say they don't use any light if the moon is visible.

[brooklynkayak]

Because Lithiums are lighter and have more juice,


PS. My light is rated at 3.5 solid days on an alkaline battery on it's lowest setting. I'd bet I could get 10 solid days with lithium and. And since I only use a lamp for a couple hours a day in most cases. I could last for more than a month without carrying a spare battery.

[hbower]

I've had a Petzl Tikka XP for a couple years now and no complaints, other than it being a little pricey. It was bought on sale just like about everything I own. I have a headlight bought at Lowes for around $15 bucks that would do the job just as well though.

[BrianLe]

Since I don't do much night hiking, the e+lite is the right answer for me too. In terms of obtaining replacement batteries, even though I try to keep my pack weight light --- base weight in the 12 - 14 pound range typically --- I find that a spare set of these (takes two) is very light ... 7 grams for the pair. So I always carry a spare, and with the amount and way that I use it, I can do quite a lot of hiking before I need to replace batteries.

For really long distance trips, I suggest buying these in bulk online to get a better price and mailing them with resupply boxes. They have quite a long shelf life, longer than a decade if I recall correctly.

I'm not sure if anyone pointed out the benefit of the red light option with the e+lite. Nice to have a night vision saving option (and/or an option that is potentially less annoying to those you might be sleeping near) with such a light weight headlamp.